Display-crate.



No. 887,097. PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

G./W. KIMBER. DISPLAY CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1966.

THE NORRIS PEFERs CO, WESHJNGTGN, D. C.

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GEORGE W. KIMBER, OF LA GROSSE, WISCONSIN.

DISPLAY-CRATE Application filed July 24,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. KIMBER, citizen of the United States,residing at La Crosse, in the county of La Crosse and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides an exhibitor for goods, such as fruits,vegetables and the like, being particularly designed for oranges,lemons, peaches, plums and fruit of kindred nature usually wrapped andrequiring ventilation.

The object of the exhibitor is to enable an advantageous display of thegoods, while at the same time preventing handling thereof and yetallowing the merchant to have free access thereto.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a display crate or exhibitor embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sec tion thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are re ferred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The crate or exhibitor is preferably formed of Wire fabric which islight and provides ample mesh to admit of practically unobstructedobservation of the goods to be displayed. The crate may be of anyoutline and construction and as shown comprises the bottom 1, preferablyof wood, and a top and sides of open work material preferably wirefabric. The body 2 is continuous and is reinforced at its upper end bymeans of a wire 3 which forms a stiffener and constitutes a frame forthe wire or open work top.

The crate or exhibitor is subdivided by means of a partition 4 intoupper and lower compartments, each being accessible by means of anopening 5 formed in a side of the compartment near the top thereof, thesaid partition being surrounded by a wire frame as shown. Each of theopenings 5 is reinforced by means of a wire 6 constituting a frame and adoor 7 may be provided to close Specification of Letters Patent.

ode are inc od Patented May 12, 1908.

1906. Serial No. 327,570.

the opening, open work and reinforced. by a frame which provides astiffener and hinged upon the frame immediately above the opening so asl to swing upwardly. The doors 7 may be dispensed with without departingfrom the nal ture of the invention. The partition 4 is preferably ofopen work, such as wire fabric, and is reinforced at its outer edge by awire frame. The partition, as Well as the top 3, may be connected to thebody of the crate in any manner either by extending the outer ends ofthe wires and bending the same about the body wires or by means of tieor bindin wires looped. about the frames of the top and partition andabout the body wires at the points of intersection. In horizontal sec- 1tion, the crate is of rectangular outline, and

the openings 5 are formed in the rear side.

A crate or exhibitor constructed in accordance with this invention isadapted to have its front supplied with the goods to be displayed inregular formation, the remainder of the goods being supplied to thecompartments at random by being inserted through the openings. The cratewhen placed in up right position upon the bottom 1 is arranged I withthe side having the openings to the rear, thereby preventing any onefrom handling i the goods while at the same time aflording ready accessthereto by the merchant.

When filling the crate it is preferably placed on its face, therebypermitting the fruit to be evenly and nicely arranged upon the firstlayer, the remainder adjusting itself. When nicely displayed the salesare increased. and since the invention admits of the goods being quicklyand evenly arranged, there is an incentive to fill the crate orreceptacle face downwards.

It will be noted that the wire fabric of which the body of the crate iscomposed is formed of comparatively large mesh and that, l therefore,comparatively large spaces are provided, so as to allow a small portionof the surface of the fruit held in the crate to protrude out of thelatter and be held in the even display arrangement mentioned in theparagraph above. From the foregoing description in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will i be seen that I have provided acompartment 1 crate, in which the lowermost frame is of wire andencircles the margin of the wooden bottom 1 and therefore tends toprevent said i bottom from splitting in addition to providsaid doorbeing constructed of 01 ing a space around the edge of the bottom aboveand below the lower bottom frame for staples to straddle said frame andsecure the entire wire mesh framework rigidly to the bottom.

Havin thus described is claimed as new is:

The herein described dis lay crate comprising a wooden bottom, sidbs ofwire mesh, upper, lower and intermediateframes applied to the sides, atop of wire mesh connected to the upper frame, a transverse partition ofwire mesh connected to the intermediate frame, the lower frame receivingthe edges of the invention, what 'wardly swinging the bottom and beingsecured thereto, one of the sides of the crate having openings formedtherein immediately below the upper and intermediate framesrespectively,

doors for the said openings, the said doors being hinged res ectively tothe said upper and intermediate rames.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. KIMBER.

and up-

